This invention relates to a camera control apparatus and method and, more particularly to a camera control apparatus and method for remote-controlling a camera via a network.
A camera control system for controlling a camera (e.g., panning, tilting and zooming of the camera) from a remote place is widely known.
In this system, even though camera control is performed via a network, a device for camera control and a client device do not depend on common specification but on unique specifications (e.g., protocol and control information).
However, in recent years, the Internet has been becoming popular with rapidity, and there is an increasing need from end users to see video images sensed by a camera at a remote place via the Internet.
One means to meet this requirement is to periodically store a video image sensed by a camera, in a file, into a storage device of a server connected to the camera, and transfer the file to a terminal (client) that has accessed the server. On the end-user side, a browser, for example, is activated so as to display the video image.
However, this merely displays the video image as sensed, but cannot meet requirements to see, e.g., the image in a view a little shifted to either side, the image in a wider view, or the image expanded within the view.
The conventional camera remote-control technique is based on particular specification, which cannot be applied to use on the Internet.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has its object to provide a camera control apparatus and method which provides an end user with environment to easily remote-control a video camera via a general network such as the Internet.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a camera control apparatus, connected to a general network, capable of controlling image-sensing condition of a camera, comprising: reception means for receiving a character string desribed in a format of file-transfer request used on the network; discrimination means for discriminating a predetermined control character relating to camera control, and a character indicating a control amount accompanying the control character, from a character string at a particular position of the character string received by the reception means; and control means for controlling the camera based on the result of discrimination by the discrimination means, and transferring video image data obtained by the camera to a file-transfer request originator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera control apparatus and method, used in a system where camera image-sensing condition and the like can be remote-controlled in a predetermined network, capable of notifying overlap in reservation of image-sensing programming if occurred.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera control apparatus and method which unnecessitates inputting an acceptance code for displaying a video image obtained by programmed image sensing and dynamically generating an HTML document by a CGI program, and which enables to easily display a desired video image obtained by programmed image sensing.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same name or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.